Project on Avian Influenza Vaccine Earns Top Honors in YES Competition
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 21 /PRNewswire/ — Alexander Chernyakhovsky, 17, a junior at William Mason High School was awarded a $50,000 college scholarship in the Young Epidemiology Scholars (YES) Competition, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and administered by the College Board.
Alexander was among 60 high school students selected out of more than 560 entrants nationwide to present their projects to a panel of top epidemiologists at the competition in Washington D.C., at which nearly $500,000 in scholarships were awarded.
“The YES Competition is one of the nation’s most prestigious science competitions for high school students,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “Alexander’s impressive work demonstrates that a new generation of epidemiologists is emerging, which holds great promise for improving the health of our nation.”
The YES Competition is designed to spur students’ interest in the field of public health, specifically epidemiology. Epidemiology explores patterns of disease, illness and injury within populations with the goal of developing methods for prevention, control and treatment to improve health.
Students develop a research question and hypothesis about a health issue that concerns a group or groups of people, and then conduct research to analyze the subject and suggest potential ways to improve the problem based on their analysis.
ALEXANDER CHERNYAKHOVSKY
Alex Chernyakhovsky Wins Scholarship @ Yes Competition
Broad coverage of the bird flu outbreak in 2006 was the source of inspiration for Alexander’s study, “Global Epidemiological Analysis of Avian Influenza Viruses in Humans.” Alexander uses computer-based modeling and simulation to predict the next areas of infection of humans with avian influenza and the timelines for outbreaks. His YES study focused on the potential application of the forecasts of his model to the World Health Organization process of selecting the three strains of influenza included in the flu vaccine each year.
Alexander began to develop his computer simulation model shortly after the first avian influenza outbreak. He has progressively added data and features such as the tracking of migrating waterfowl, stationary waterfowl, and poultry to determine the routes by which avian influenza infection can spread. Due to the sophistication and complexity of his model, Alexander runs his bio-simulations at the Ohio Supercomputer Center.
For more information, to interview finalists or to speak with a YES spokesperson, please contact Matthew Windsor at mwindsor@lipmanhearne.com or Colleen McGraw at cmcgraw@lipmanhearne.com, or by phone at 202-457-8100. For more information about the YES Competition, visit www.collegeboard.com/YES.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the quality of the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful, and timely change. For more than 35 years, the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org.
The College Board
The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board is composed of more than 5,600 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools and 3,800 colleges through major programs and services in college readiness, college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT® and the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®). The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities and concerns. For further information, visit www.collegeboard.com.
Butler County
Fairfield Middle — Luke Comstock
Fairfield Middle — Tanner Clemons
Fairfield Middle — Anna Kathman
Fairfield Middle — Nimisha Swali
Fairfield Middle — Havovi Desai
Fairfield Middle — Jacqueline Kelly
Fairfield Middle — Libby Graham
Fairfield Middle — Sarah Hamilton
Fairfield Middle — Megan Dale
Fairfield Middle — Meghan Davidson
Fairfield Middle — Eric Vinson
Fairfield Middle — Afua Ansah
Fairfield Middle — Lia Hodge
Hopewell Jr High — Brett Whitford
Middletown High — Michael Craft
Monroe Jr High — Eric Stone
Monroe Jr High — David Irwin
Clermont County
St Andrew — Chandler Wheat
St Andrew/St Elizabeth A Seton — Laurel Romano
St Andrew — Beth Zappia St Louis Elem — Eaisa David
St Andrew/St Elizabeth A Seton — Daniel Poole
St Columban Elem — Courtney Naber
St Columban Elem — Molly McGeeney
St Columban Elem — Monica Bockhorst & Sam Bockhorst
St Columban Elem — Sara Skierkiewicz
St Andrew — Maddie White
St Columban Elem — Mary Conroy
St Columban Elem — Joseph Wells
St Columban Elem — Matthew Abele
St Columban Elem — Courtney Fasola
St Columban Elem — Ryan Judd
St Columban Elem — Erica How & Emily How & Elissa How
St Columban Elem — Mariah Sampsel
St Columban Elem — Brendan Dzigiel
St Columban Elem — Shane Sullivan
St Columban Elem — Zach Miller
St Louis Elem — Emma Mullins
St Thomas More Elem — Danielle Lynd
St Louis Elem — Alex David
St Louis Elem — Andy Haglage
Franklin County (by special arrangement)
Upper Arlington High School — Summers Hammel
Hamilton County
All Saints Elem — Lauren Rom
All Saints Elem — Grace Adams
All Saints Elem — Rachel Entrup
All Saints Elem — Kristin Oliphant
All Saints Elem — Sam Hubbard
All Saints Elem — Alberto Romanach
All Saints Elem — Elizabeth Tomon
Guardian Angels Elem — Michelle Mezher
Guardian Angels Elem — John Harris
McNicholas High — Charlie Jorden
McNicholas High — Michael Nimmo
McNicholas High — Amanda Bradley
McNicholas High — Rachel Wadell
McNicholas High — Lucy Frey
Mother of Mercy High — Gabrielle Coors
Mount Notre Dame High — Akanksha Mishra
Our Lady of Lourdes Elem — Brad Gerhardt & Dominic Scarlato
Our Lady of Lourdes Elem — Matthew Cahall
Our Lady of Lourdes Elem — Sarah Clark & Lauren Leesman
Our Lady of Lourdes Elem — Megan Ridder & Christa Woelfel
Our Lady of Lourdes Elem — Jessica Lienesch
Our Lady of Visitation Elem — Annie Dixon
Our Lady of Visitation Elem — Priya Mullen & Megan Ireland
Our Lady of Visitation Elem — Kevin Talbot & Chris Denney
Our Lady of Visitation Elem — Ashley Humphrey
Our Lady of Visitation Elem — Sarah Hilvert
Our Lady of Visitation Elem — Kelley Wiegman
St Gertrude Elem — Paul Mittermeier
St Xavier High — Tyler Gau & Steven Ablett & William Beischel
St Mary Elem — Casey Helmicki
St Mary Elem — Briana Kennedy
St Gertrude Elem — MaryAlice Dadosky
St Bernard School Elem — Sadie Dimuzio
St Gertrude Elem — Andrew Racadio
St Mary Elem — Alex Sherlock
St Gertrude Elem — Maggie Winstel
St Gertrude Elem — Robert Naber
St Jude Elem — Emily Friedmann & Liz Trentman
St Jude Elem — Kelsey Watts & Erin Glankler
St Jude Elem — Eric Bachus & Sam Schultz
St Xavier High — Steve Schott & Keith Kennedy & Danny O’Shaughnessy
St Gertrude Elem — Elizabeth Bayer
St Gertrude Elem — Liz Stein
St Gertrude Elem — Stephen Babcock
Sycamore High — Thomas Seiple
Sycamore High — Jennifer Andrews & Brent Gargano
Sycamore High — Edward DeLara
Sycamore High — Chellsie Haas & Garret Listo
Sycamore High — Scott Wright & John Goodwin
Sycamore High — Christine Bacha
Turpin High — Robin Finzer & Nathan Stoehr
Turpin High — Jake Tracy & Mary Magnesen
Turpin High — Ben Perkins & Nick Hanna
Turpin High — Anne Shim & Catherine Shim & Alexander Jones
Turpin High — Elizabeth Holcombe & Emily van Treeck
Turpin High — Megan Josefczyk & Elaine Yung
Turpin High — Elizabeth Pohana
Turpin High — Ariel Miller
Turpin High — Michelle Streffon & Katie Midkiff
Walnut Hills High — Charles Daston & Adam Schwartz
Walnut Hills High — Peter Glotfelty & Kevin Snape
Walnut Hills High — Nathan Lamba & Daniel Miller
Walnut Hills High — Christopher Wilson
Preble County
Twin Valley South High — Kayla Creech & Jessica Johnson
Warren County
Mason High School — Alexander Chernyakhovsky
Mason High School — Alexandria Behne
Mason Middle — Aman Kumar
Mason High School — Abby Lebowitz
Mason Middle — Anastassia Jenjebir
Mason High School — Tong Zhan
Mason Middle — Sohum Talreja
Mason High School — Benjamin Kleykamp
Mason Middle — Sanika Barve
Mason Middle — Maddy Shelby & Aarti Kumar
Mason Middle — Abhimanyu Gupta
St Susanna Elem — Benjamin Loren
St Susanna Elem — Meghan Stier
St Susanna Elem — Meredith Westmeyer
St Susanna Elem — Emily Levy
St Susanna Elem — Emily Farrell & Jacqueline Ebeling
St Susanna Elem — Amanda Muldoon & Molly Morgan
Waynesville High — Michael Di Mascio
Waynesville Middle — John Bowling & Jordan Moore
William Mason High — Namratha Sandella
Congratulations to the Sycamore High School students who competed in yesterdays UC College of Applied Science Tech Expo.
Seniors Jennifer Andrews & Brent Gargano won Best of High School Capstone Projects – 1st Place ($1,000) with their project Degradation of Recombinant Human Skin by Means of Sodium Hydroxide and Hydrochloric Acid.
Seniors Chelsea Haas & Garret Listo won Best of High School Capstone Projects – 2nd Place ($500) with their project The Creation of Sycamore’s Virtual Lab.
RENO BOUND
Jennifer and Brent will be representing UC at the International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) next week in Reno, Nevada. Joining them are juniors Michael Di Mascio from Waynesville High School and Alex Chernyakhovsky from Mason High School. At the UC Science Fair Michael was awarded the $6,100 in cash and scholarships with his project Can a Polymer be Made to Act like a Metal and Exhibit Magnetic Properties? Alex’s project Designing Heterologous Influenza Vaccine for New Pandemic Pathogen Emerging in Humans Infected with Avian Influenza was recently awarded a $50,000 prize at the Young Epidemiology Scholars (YES) Competition. We want to wish the group the best of luck next week in Reno!
